Converging on the mobile?With a lot of hype around the use of mobile devices for identity and the availability of near field communication and Bluetooth low energy, it seems likely that handsets will surpass smart cards as the converged token of choice.

“We’ll see the inclusion of the mobile devices as one of the form factors you can use,” says Paul Brady, senior director of sales engineering at Identiv. “You can put derived credentials on the phone for secure messaging or you can add credentials physically to the device with a sticker inside it.”

Enabling handsets for physical access is possible, whether they have NFC or not, as Bluetooth low energy has emerged as an option for opening doors. And using the same handset for logical access has been possible for some time, says Lovelock. “It’s well established in the IT world where phones generate one-time passcodes,” he adds.

Using NFC for logical access isn’t something that’s become widespread yet. But as a new generation of tablets and laptops come equipped with NFC, the ability to reach the technology from other devices is a possibility. It will also lower the cost of the credentials as readers will be embedded and cards won’t have to be issued, Lovelock says. “Your basic infrastructure is capable of reading a contactless credential without spending anymore money,” he explains.

Still, the cards may be tough to beat as a form factor, Brady says. “I don’t think we’ll see the cards go away any time soon,” he explains. “It’s such a common form factor and it has shaken out as the technology that’s accepted by everyone.”

Smart cards have also proven to work over a number of years. “The technology is very well vetted,” Brady says. “There are lots of standards around it and you’re starting to see the card trickle down from earlier programs like the Defense Department’s Common Access Card, EMV payment cards and others.”